Five questions with … Eli Cordova

June 30, 2013

Eli Cordova

Eli Cordova has put in his share of time on the baseball diamond so far this summer.
The Clovis High School sophomore-to-be just finished a week at the Baseball Factory camp in Omaha, Neb. The camp, sponsored by clothing maker Under Armour, includes players from around the country between the ages of 15 and 18.
Teams were formed early on at the camp, and the camp finished with a tournament where Cordova’s team, the Anteaters, finished second.
Cordova, who turns 16 on Sunday, was also invited to another Under Armour camp later this summer in Florida.
The 5-foot-10, 155-pound third baseman has aspirations to play college baseball, but is lookin at colleges close to home.

You’ve obviously been to offseason camps of various types. How was this one different?
They taught me how to grab ground balls more smoothly. There was a lot more competition. There were at least 100 people at the camp. Kids from everywhere, nobody I knew, from Hawaii to El Paso to everywhere. It helped me a lot. Faster pitches, different pitches. They taught me how to swing correctly and put more power into it.

What’s the biggest challenge of being on a team with people you met a few days ago?
Just getting to know how they play.

What is your favorite position on the field and why?
Third base. I’ve got an arm and I’m quick. Miguel Cabrera (is my favorite player) because he plays third base; he’s really good.

What’s the most difficult transition from the youth leagues to the high school level?
People are just bigger and stronger. It’s different competition.

What’s the best park you’ve ever been to?
Probably Omaha. The field was nice. You couldn’t take a bad hop. Everything was smooth, level, green.